


obedience

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Artist Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Cock & Ball Torture, Confused Eren Yeager, Eren moves in with Levi, Eventual Levi/Eren Yeager, Forced Orgasm, Genital Torture, Hospitals, Kidnapping, LEVI DOESNT DO ANY OF THE TORTURE BTW, Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Torture, Rape Aftermath, Rape Recovery, Recovery, Sexual Abuse, Supportive Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Torture, suffering in general
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 18:24:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11423583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Eren is obedient. He is a good toy, a good doll, a good tool... he is a good boy for anyone who wants him, and he knows how to please.





	1. Chapter 1

Eren has been learning and living by the art of obedience for years. All he does every moment of every day is obey, listen, shut up, stay still, behave. Eren doesn't know how to do much else, but he doesn't need to. All he needs to do is go limp when they force themselves inside him, curl up when they beat him with their belts, drop to his knees and open his mouth whenever they want relief. Day by day. Year by year.

Eren knows to be good when they take him outside. He wouldn't dream of doing anything else. He knows to keep his eyes low, his head submissively bowed, his mouth shut unless told otherwise. He knows to stay still when he feels a hand rub his inner thigh while they're in a restaurant. He knows to stay unresponsive when another hand slips into his pants and squeezes. When they tell him to order food for himself, he knows to quietly ask the waitress for the least expensive item on the menu, despite the hand curling around his length and stroking it quickly under the table. Eren knows to eat silently and keep his whimpers and cries contained when they bring him to the brink of orgasm over and over and over, never letting him have relief. Eren knows to thank them gratefully for allowing him food and pleasure, even as his voice and body are shaking.

When they bring him back home and take turns using his body over and over again, teasing his throbbing ache and still not allowing him release, Eren knows to lay still and take it. When Eren vomits his food from earlier, he knows to beg for forgiveness and apologize repeatedly. When they whip him anyways, Eren knows not to object. He knows not to respond to the pain. He knows to stay silent, even as he feels himself losing consciousness. He knows to be relieved once he finally passes out.

\---

Eren wakes up to the unfamiliar sound of steady beeping. He opens his eyes immediately, knowing that they don't like it when he deceives them about being awake.

_"Good boys are honest. Don't you want to be a good boy for us?"_

Eren has to squint when he sees a white ceiling, unused to the bright, piercing color. But he knows not to question it. He glances around him and takes in his surroundings, noticing that he's in a hospital room. Strange... he has several tubes connected to his arms, giving him blood and other fluids. He feels very foggy and exhausted... the pain in his body isn't as strong as usual, and he feels numb. Maybe from one of the IVs...? Eren is stunned by his situation. He hasn't ever been in a hospital room like this. Whenever they broke his legs, they brought a doctor into the basement to heal him. They brought the same doctor whenever they whipped him so badly he almost bled to death, and when his cuts and burns were infected.. but they have never taken him to an actual hospital. Something must be _extremely_ wrong with him. Eren glances down at himself, vaguely wondering if he had lost a limb. His body seems to be intact.. it has several bruises, marks, welts, and bandages all across it, but nothing is out of the ordinary, besides the sweatpants he's wearing. Usually he'd be completely naked.. maybe the pants are from the hospital. Eren doesn't understand why he's there. He has been through much worse in the past and not had any medical care... so why are they putting him into a hospital now? Is this even an actual hospital? Is this some kind of test?

Why would they be testing him..? Eren had proven his unwavering obedience time and time again. Maybe they're suddenly relocating to an abandoned hospital? Maybe they took Eren to an auction when he was passed out, and his new buyer is a doctor? Eren doesn't understand what's going on, but he stays still and silent, as he has been trained to do.

After several minutes pass, the door opens. Eren bows his head automatically as someone walks in, keeping his eyes trained down.

_"You're not my fucking equal, bitch. Don't ever look me or anyone else in the eye. You're not worthy of it, you're just a piece of shit. You're only here for when we want you. So keep your fucking head down, you worthless slut."_

"Hello, sweetie, my name is Petra. You're at Maria Hospital, and I'm your nurse. I'm just here to help you get better, okay? Can you please tell me what your name is?" A woman's sweet voice asks, sounding like honey. Eren almost flinches once she speaks, surprised by the feminine voice, but he manages to control himself.

"Eren. Eren Jaeger." He says softly, knowing not to disobey. He's confused by the fact that she said 'please' to him. Why would anyone ever plead for something from him..? Why didn't she just demand it?

"Thank you, sweetheart. Can you tell me how old you are?" She questions, her voice still honey-sweet. Dread sinks into Eren's stomach, and he hesitates.

"I'm s-so sorry, I don't know... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, I promise I don't know, please please _please_ forgive me.." Eren blurts, quickly bowing his head as low as it can go, holding his hands together above his head in a pleading gesture. He knows the begging and apologizing never get him anywhere, but they usually like to hear him grovel. Sometimes, if he's lucky, it lessens the pain.

Eren tenses as he waits for the blow to fall, but it never does.

"Eren, darling, it's okay.. you have nothing to apologize about, it's okay. I forgive you. I'm not mad, I promise." Petra soothes him immediately, her voice gentle and sincere.

Eren slowly, reluctantly returns to his former position, unsure of why he isn't being punished.

"Do you remember what happened to you, Eren?" Petra asks softly.

"Yes, ma'am." Eren answers, although he doesn't know what exactly Petra is referring to.

"Do you know what year it is?" She questions, and Eren immediately winces. This is the second time he doesn't have the right answer to her question.. she won't forgive him this time.

_Fuck, this punishment is going to be bad._

Eren swallows and closes his eyes. He can take it. He can take it. He's been through worse.

Eren quickly bows his head down to the bed again and raises his clasped hands, shaking them at Petra in a desperate motion.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am, I'm sorry, I don't know, I don't know, _please_ -" Eren apologizes again, his body tense as he waits to be dragged to the ground and whipped. He wants to keep begging, but Petra cuts him off.

"Shhh, it's alright, sweetie. It's okay if you can't answer some of my questions. I promise I'm not upset with you." She says, her voice quiet and soft. Eren is wary of the kindness in her voice, and he doesn't understand it at all. He slowly sits back up, his expression blank, but his mind full of questions. He deserves to be punished. Why isn't he being punished..? Are they trying to trick him? To get his guard down, so they can hurt him even worse?

"Today is April 16th, and the year is 2017. Does that help you figure out how old you are? It's okay if you still don't know." Petra explains, and Eren blinks.

April of 2017. Eren's birthday was on March 30th, 1992. Eren spends a few minutes doing the math, and eventually figures it out.

"Twenty-five." Eren answers, the words foreign on his tongue. Eren is stunned at how old he is now, but he's relieved that he can finally satisfy her questions and be a good boy. "I am twenty-five years old, ma'am."

Eren hears Petra scribble that down.

"Do you know if you have any serious injuries, Eren? It's been about an hour and a half since the police found you, so we had enough time to stop your bleeding and clean and bandage your wounds, but we haven't been able to check for anything more serious." Petra questions.

Her words ring in his mind. 'Since the police found you.' Does that mean...?

Eren shoves the impossible idea out of his mind, and thinks for a moment to answer her... he's pretty sure he isn't too injured. He hasn't fucked up enough lately to earn him a terrible punishment. Besides the constant beatings, whippings, burnings, and rape, Eren's body is okay. It could be worse. He could have broken legs again, or be amputated.. Eren knows to be grateful.

"I don't have any serious injuries, ma'am. My body is healthy enough." Eren replies, hoping that answer satisfies her. Eren knows he's definitely healthy enough to be used like usual. He wonders why Petra hasn't done anything to him yet... she must be his owner for the next few hours, or maybe for the night. Why hasn't she hurt him yet? Why hasn't she fucked him? Maybe she just wants to roleplay...? Eren has experienced weirder situations, so he wouldn't be surprised. He is still confused, but he forces away his thoughts. All he should worry about is obeying.

_"Fucktoys like you don't deserve to ask questions."_

"I'm going to do a few simple tests to check up on you, okay, sweetie? Just checking your blood pressure, heart rate, reflexes, all of that stuff. It'll only take a moment." Petra states, and Eren nods.

Petra wraps something around Eren's arm and it squeezes him tightly, but not enough to hurt. Eren stays silent and still, as usual. She presses a cold stethoscope against Eren's chest and back, commanding him to take deep breaths. Once she's done, she asks him something else.

"Can you look up at me, darling? I need to check your eyes, just to make sure everything is alright." Petra states. Eren's throat tightens. He obeys quickly, of course, but he feels nervous... is this a trick? This is the first time in a long time anyone has ever wanted Eren to look at them. Eren looks at the side of her face, too afraid to make eye contact.

Petra is gorgeous... she has pretty red hair in a bob, and kind, brown eyes. Eren feels his heart race as he looks at her, unsure if this is really allowed.

She shines a little light in his eyes, and finishes her check-up. Eren keeps his eyes on her face, since she hasn't ordered him to look anywhere else.

"Eren.. I have one question for you, and I understand if you don't want to tell me.. but I want to help you as much as I can. Those men... did they sexually assault you?" Petra asks, her voice soft and concerned.

Eren doesn't understand why she's so concerned. He answers easily.

"Yes, ma'am."

Petra makes a small, sad sound.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Would it be okay if I took a look, to make sure that you're okay and gather evidence if you want to do a rape kit?" Petra questions gently, and Eren nods obediently.

"I'll be back in a moment with some supplies, okay, sweetie?" Petra says before walking out. She returns a few minutes later and pulls on latex gloves.

"All I'm going to do is push a cotton swab inside for a second and check for any damage, and then it'll be over, okay, Eren?" Petra explains.

"Yes, ma'am." Eren replies instinctually.

"Can you lay on your stomach for me and pull your pants down whenever you're ready? You can take your time if you need to." Petra says, but Eren already rolls over and pulls his sweatpants down before she finishes speaking, spreading his legs and pushing his ass up in the air. He knows to obey quickly, efficiently.

"Thank you, Eren.. it.. it'll only take a moment." Petra states after a few seconds, sounding a bit sad and shocked. Soon enough, Eren feels the cotton swab gently brush against his hole, and he doesn't react.

"Okay, I'm done, sweetheart." She says, but Eren doesn't move.

He hears her take off her gloves.

"Eren...? You can sit up now, honey, it's over."

Eren quickly obeys her command.

"You've been so strong and brave through this, Eren.. you're doing an amazing job." Petra says, and Eren feels warmth spread through his chest at the compliments. He always knows he's being a good boy when they praise him.. it doesn't happen often, but Eren always feels pleased with himself when it does.

"Thank you, ma'am." Eren says, bowing his head a little.

"I'm so proud of you for being able to go through so much and come out strong, Eren.. you're handling this so well." Petra continues, and Eren has to fight down his smile. He doesn't understand the praise, but it still makes him feel incredible... praise always means he's safe from punishment, at least for the moment. Eren is grateful. This is more of a reward than he's had in a long time.

"Thank you, ma'am, thank you so much." Eren says, relieved.

"No problem, Eren. I'll need to come back later to draw your blood to test for STDs. And the police will probably come in soon to question you, if that's okay." Petra says in her sweet voice, and Eren nods.

"Do you need anything before I leave, honey?" Petra offers. Eren blinks for a moment, not understanding. Why would he need anything..? Eren doesn't have needs. Eren exists only to serve. Is this a test?

"I don't need anything.. u-unless you think I do, ma'am." Eren replies, trying to please her but cringing at himself, waiting for Petra to strike out at his awkward answer.

"Okay... I'll come back soon, alright? Yell if you need anything, sweetie." Petra says instead, walking out and leaving Eren alone in the hospital room.

Eren exhales heavily and relaxes against the bed, relieved to be alone. He closes his eyes and waits for someone to walk in and give him commands. Eren is still confused by what's going on. He doesn't get why someone hasn't beaten or fucked him yet.. Eren would be a lot more at ease if Petra had walked in and demanded Eren to spread his legs. That would make more sense than this. But Eren knows that it's not his place to understand.

_"Shut the fuck up, bitch. You don't deserve to ask questions. You're just here to be used like the little fuckdoll that you are, got it? Now show me what that pretty little mouth can do besides chat."_

After several minutes of thinking, Eren hears the door open, and he quickly sits up, bowing his head, keeping his eyes trained on the bed.

"Hello, are you Eren Jaeger?" A man's voice asks, but it isn't one of his owners.

"Yes, sir." Eren replies immediately.

"My name is Nathan Park. I'm a police officer, and I need to ask you a few questions about your situation, okay?"

Eren nods quickly in agreement.

"What happened on the day that you were kidnapped? When did it happen, and how?" Nathan asks.

"I was kidnapped when I was ten years old. I'm sorry, I-I don't remember the exact date. I'm so sorry, sir, I'm sorry." Eren apologizes, bowing his head low to the bed, until his nose is touching the blankets, submitting as much as he possibly can, waiting for the fists to rain down on his back.

"It's- it's okay, Eren. You don't need to apologize to me. Just tell me what you do know, and we'll work from there, okay? Can you tell me what happened when you were kidnapped? Where were you, how many people were there?" Nathan continues, forgiving Eren.

Everyone is being too generous to him... if Eren were with his usual owners, he would have gotten several harsh beatings by now. Well.. if he were with his owners, Eren would never have to talk this much in the first place.

"I lived in a foster home then, because my parents died a few months earlier. I ran away one night, and a van pulled up next to me on the street. Four men ran up to me and grabbed me before I could do anything. Nobody else was around. They threw me in the van, and immediately handcuffed, blindfolded, and gagged me. They took me to a basement somewhere." Eren explains bluntly.

He hears Nathan write down what he said.

"Can you describe those men to me?" Nathan suggests, and Eren nods. He gives descriptions of each of them, as detailed as he possibly can, hoping Nathan will be happy.

"Thank you, Eren. Do you know any of their names?" The man asks afterwards. Eren closes his eyes, familiar fear rising in his chest.

"T-they never told me, I'm so sorry, sir, I'm sorry, I promise I don't know." Eren blurts out, bowing down again, tensing as he waits for pain.

But, once again, no pain comes.

"Shhh, it's alright, Eren. It's not your fault." Nathan says, his voice calm and steady. "Can you tell me what those men did to you, what happened while you were kidnapped?"

Eren sits up again, then nods and clears his throat before answering, trying to remember all that was done to him.

"They tortured me for awhile. They beat me, whipped me, burned me, branded me, electrocuted me, raped me, shoved my head in water until I almost drowned, restrained me in painful positions for hours... they kept me handcuffed and hurt me in whatever ways they could. I don't know how long, since there weren't any windows in the basement, but that went on for a long time. I stopped fighting back or reacting after awhile, and they decided I was ready. They put me in the van again and drove to some building.. they put makeup and lingerie on me and put me on a stage with a bunch of other people dressed the same as me. There was a big crowd of people- all men- that bid on each of us. One of them bought me for more money than anyone else, because I... I was the most obedient. The man took me to his house and used my body for a few hours, and then returned me back to those four men. This kind of auction happens often, and those four men use me in between auctions, too. They take me outside every once in awhile when I'm good.. they took me outside today." Eren describes, his voice shaking a little while he speaks. It feels wrong to tell someone all of this. Is this a test? Is Eren supposed to lie to protect his owners? Is he going to be punished for his disloyalty...?

"I-I'm sorry, sir..!" Eren apologizes quickly, guilt polluting his veins, his throat constricting and his mind dizzy with fear.

"Why are you sorry, Eren? You've done nothing wrong." Nathan replies softly.

"I-I don't know, sir. I'm so sorry if I answered badly." Eren responds, bowing again.

"You answered perfectly, Eren. You did so well.. I don't need to ask you anything else. I'll make sure that those four men who hurt you will stay in jail for the rest of their lives." Nathan says, and Eren can almost feel the sympathy radiating off of him.

Eren doesn't understand this at all. It almost sounds like... it almost sounds like he's being.. saved. But that's impossible. It's _impossible_. Eren belongs to those four men, and he will, for the rest of his life. That's what they told him.

_"You're always going to be our little doll. Don't even fucking try to get away from us, you cumslut. You're ours, and you will always be ours. You won't ever escape us."_

Nathan leaves Eren in his confusion, and Petra returns soon after.

"Hey, sweetheart, how are you feeling? Talking to the police must've been tough, but you're safe now, okay, Eren?" Petra speaks immediately as she walks in, her honey-voice soothing and pleasant to his ears, making his shoulders relax easily. Eren has to stop himself from smiling. After fifteen years of harsh voices and rough hands, Eren is grateful for her new, contrastingly sweet voice. Even if he doesn't understand the kindness in her words.

"I feel the same as before, ma'am." Eren responds honestly.

"Do you need pain medication or anything else, Eren?" Petra wonders, and Eren blinks, unsure of what she wants him to say.

"Only if you think I do, ma'am." He replies uncertainly, lowering his head slightly, hoping his submission will be good enough.

"Okay.. just tell me if you need anything, sweetie. I need to draw your blood for STD tests now, alright?"

Eren nods immediately.

Petra puts on latex gloves and ties a tourniquet around Eren's arm. She lightly swipes his skin with alcohol, and gets the needle out.

"Are you ready?" She asks gently, and Eren nods. He barely even feels the needle slide past his skin, and he stays obediently still. Petra draws his blood into the little tube, and removes the needle. She says soft praises to him as she bandages the tiny puncture wound, and Eren has never felt so cared for in his life. She is so gentle and kind towards him, and he knows he doesn't deserve it, he knows he should be a good boy and tell her that he needs to be punished instead of praised- but, god, he can't help himself from reveling in the comfort.

"Eren, honey... do you have a home to go back to?" Petra asks, her voice sweet and worried as always.

"Yes, ma'am." Eren replies.

"Where is that?" She asks, sounding relieved.

"The basement, ma'am." Eren elaborates. He hears a soft, sad sigh escape Petra, and guilt courses through him. He's answered wrong. He's disappointed her. Now he's going to be punished.. her nice act will fall away, and pain will follow.

Eren opens his mouth to apologize, but she speaks first.

"Eren... that basement isn't your home. A home is a place where you should feel safe and happy, a place you _want_ to be. Do you have any relatives or friends you can live with?" Petra asks.

Eren's mouth is dry. He doesn't want to disappoint her again.. but he has to.

"M-my relatives are all dead and I never had friends. I'm so sorry, ma'am, I'm sorry." Eren apologizes again, still expecting pain, although it isn't delivered.

"It's okay, honey. I was just wondering, because I'm pretty sure the hospital is going to release you tomorrow." Petra explains, and Eren feels his blood run cold. His fear shows on his face without his permission.

"Release me?" Eren repeats, his voice cracking slightly. He cringes at his own weakness. Release him.. does that mean they're going to kill him? Eren has prayed for that hundreds of times... but suddenly, the thought terrifies him.

"Yes. After tomorrow, you'll be free from the hospital. You can do whatever you want, go anywhere, live anywhere..." Petra trails off, and Eren feels his breath catch in his throat, his heart pounding fast. This is completely new.. he'll be... free? What is he supposed to do? Where is he supposed to go? If what Nathan and Petra said is true, Eren won't have to return to the basement.. his owners are in jail, Nathan said. According to these people, Eren really _is_ free. Eren doesn't know what to do. This is the first time in _fifteen years_ that Eren will be free. The first time he'll have choices. It's even scarier to think about than death.

But what if this is all an elaborate trick? A trap? What if those men just want Eren to believe he's free, so they can break him all over again? What if Petra bought him for the day and wants to pretend to free him for her own twisted pleasure?

This can't be real. This can't be true. It just can't. Eren's owners promised him they'd keep him forever. They _promised_. Eren knows they'll never break that promise. This is a plan to trick him. A plan to make him lower his guard and forget his training so they can break him down even further. But Eren won't let that happen. Eren will remain obedient. Eren won't give in to this. He knows better. He knows to be a good boy, no matter what's going on around him.

"Eren...? Eren, are you with me? You've been spacing out for a few minutes, sweetie." Petra's voice brings Eren back from his thoughts.

"Eren.. you don't know where you're going to go once you're released, do you?" Petra asks afterwards, and Eren swallows.

"I don't, ma'am. I'm so sorry, ma'am, I'm sorry." Eren says, regret evident in his voice.

"It's okay, Eren. I'll try to help you find a place to stay, okay..? I won't let you live on the streets, scared and alone... no. You deserve a safe home to live in. I would offer to let you stay at my house, but I would be gone all the time for work, and my husband and I don't have a lot of space. But I promise I'll help you find somewhere to live, okay?" Petra explains, and Eren is amazed. She's so sweet and kind to him.. all she wants to do is help him find somewhere to go.

Eren forces those thoughts away. No.. Petra is tricking him. She isn't kind. He can't think of her that way.. he can't even begin to trust her. He knows he'll be hurt even worse if he lets his guard down.

Petra brings Eren a tray of food and a bottle of water, and Eren stares at the tray without eating for a few moments before she tells him to. Once, the men placed a large plate of food in front of him.. he took a bite before they gave him permission, and they beat him for hours and hours on end, yelling at him for being a bad boy. For a long time after that, they repeatedly placed delicious looking food in front of Eren and never gave him the command to eat it, showing him the food he wasn't allowed to have, while his stomach ached in hunger.

Eren won't ever make that mistake again.

After he eats, Petra takes the tray and tells Eren to get some rest before leaving.

Eren feels full, comfortable, and blissfully free from pain... it's an odd feeling that he hasn't experienced since he was a child. He almost feels.. safe. Although he knows he shouldn't, Eren allows himself to pretend that he's safe, drifting easily to sleep with a little smile on his face, so small it's barely even there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaand here's chapter two,,,, i hope you enjoy ! please make sure to read the tags, i really really don't want to trigger anyone!!

Eren wakes up the next day, and the lack of immediate pain surprises him. His eyes shoot open and he glances around him in confusion, exhaling heavily as he remembers being put into the hospital. So, Petra must have bought Eren for more than just a day... the longest Eren has ever been bought for is a week, so this isn't too unusual.

Eren lies still with his eyes glued to the white wall for a long time, not moving at all, since he hasn't been commanded to. Pressure is building on Eren's bladder to a nearly unbearable point, but he knows better than to look for a bathroom. If they don't take him to use the toilet, Eren knows to hold it in as long as he can and apologize profusely when he wets himself, even though he has no other option. Once, when Eren was new, he tried to ask them if they'd take him to the bathroom, and they dunked his head in the toilet over and over and over until Eren passed out. Now, he knows to stay still and quiet and only go once he's told.

After a long time, the door opens, and Petra walks in again.

"Good morning, Eren! How are you feeling?" Petra says cheerfully.

"I feel the same as yesterday, ma'am." Eren replies easily.

"I'm glad.. I need to look at some of your wounds again before you're released, okay?" She states, walking closer to Eren. "I need to take off your bandages."

Eren nods, his body still as she gently unwraps the gauze from his numerous injuries and scars.

She carefully wipes alcohol onto his fresher wounds to clean them out, checks for anything irregular, and re-bandages them.

"There.. all better. Now, Eren, I want to talk to you about housing arrangements again today." Petra brings up, sitting on her stool near the hospital bed.

"I talked to one of my friends, and I think he'll let you stay at his house. I told him to come to the hospital soon so that you two can talk about it by yourselves, get to know each other, and see if this is something you'd like to do. I can vouch for him.. he might seem grumpy or uninterested on the outside, but he has a heart of gold. I can promise you that he would never do anything to you besides provide for you and try to help you until you've recovered enough to live on your own. What do you think about this, Eren?" Petra explains a lot of information quickly, and Eren is momentarily overwhelmed.

"I.. I don't have any thoughts on it, ma'am." Eren answers after a few moments, unsure of what to say.

"Let me rephrase... are you willing to meet with him? You can say no, Eren, but I think you should at least talk to him. You won't have to move in if you don't want to." Petra tries to explain, and Eren blinks at her.

_You can say no._

Those words are completely foreign to Eren and he doesn't know how to process them.. he stares at Petra in silence for a few seconds, bewildered by that statement. He eventually snaps back to reality and forces himself to answer her question.

"I'm willing to do anything you want me to do, ma'am." Eren replies obediently, despite his shock.

Eren hears Petra let out a sad sigh, and he freezes instinctively.

"Okay. He'll be here sometime today.. let me know if you need anything, honey." Petra tells him, and he can hear the sympathy in her voice. She puts a gentle hand on Eren's shoulder and he relaxes, since this is more familiar than anything else she's done. Even though her touch is soft, Eren knows what it means for him. He waits patiently for her to touch him somewhere else, his eyes growing distant, understanding exactly what's about to happen.

But he apparently doesn't understand, because Petra doesn't touch him anywhere else. She doesn't command him to get on his hands and knees or to open his mouth.

She just gently rubs her thumb against his shoulder. And then she leaves.

Eren is stunned. He stares at the door after her for a long time, wondering why she isn't coming back. She touched him.. but she doesn't want to do anything else? Eren doesn't understand. He _can't_ understand.

Eren hasn't been touched like that in a long time.. it was a touch without any expectations or pain behind it. A touch without leading to anything else.. Eren is bewildered.

Eventually, the door opens again. Eren immediately lowers his head as the door closes, and two sets of footsteps walk up to Eren.

"Eren, this is Levi Ackerman. He's my friend that I was telling you about." Petra says in her sweet voice. Eren glances up just a tiny bit, only enough to see Levi's pants, too afraid to look up any further. The man has short legs, and he's wearing dark jeans.

"Nice to meet you, kid." Levi says, his voice deep and smooth. Eren tenses just a fraction at the low, masculine voice, but bows his head further at him, submitting. He nods and doesn't speak, since he hasn't been ordered to.

"Is it okay with you if I leave, Eren? You can call for me anytime you need me, but I promise that Levi won't do anything to you." Petra asks, and Eren nods immediately.

"Okay... I'll let you two get to know each other. Sit down, Levi, make yourself comfortable!" Petra says, and Eren can almost hear the smile in her voice. "I'll be back later, Eren."

And then she's gone, leaving Eren alone in the room with this stranger, this Levi. Eren doesn't know what to expect from him.. he doesn't know the man's rules, and that always makes him nervous. He stays still and quiet until Levi speaks.

"So... Petra said you need somewhere to live?" Levi begins, slightly awkwardly. Eren nods again, unsure if Levi is okay with him speaking.

"My house is big enough for two people. I have a spare bedroom that you could sleep in, if you want. I don't really use it." Levi says. "Do you talk, kid?"

Eren swallows. Is this a trap..?

"If you want me to, sir." He responds.

"If you're comfortable with talking, that'd be cool. Do you have any questions for me, kid? About me, or my house, or anything?" Levi offers.

"No, sir." Eren says immediately.

"Mm.... you're twenty-five, right?" Levi wonders.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm thirty, if you were wondering. I guess I shouldn't call you kid, but you look a lot younger than you are.... anyways. I guess I should tell you a few things about me. I'm an artist.. I sell my drawings and paintings and I make a pretty okay living off of it, so having you at my house won't be a huge strain, if you were worried about that. I stay at my house most of the time, but I go outside sometimes when I'm painting..." Levi continues talking about himself and life at his house, but Eren can barely focus on his words. The pressure on his bladder _hurts_ and Eren doesn't know how much longer he can hold it in.

"Are you alright, kid?" Levi asks suddenly, sounding a little concerned.

"Yes, sir." Eren responds.

"Are you sure..? You look a little pale." Levi says, sounding uncertain.

"Yes, sir." Eren repeats, trying not to focus on the pain.

"Alright... you know, you don't have to call me 'sir,' kid. I'm not your boss or anything." Levi states, and something in his tone makes Eren tense up.

He quickly bows down low to the bed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll stop calling you that I promise please I'm so so sorry-" Eren begins his usual apologizing routine, but Levi cuts him off.

"Hey, hey, hey, kid, it's alright... I wasn't trying to scold you or anything, you don't have to apologize. I'm not going to hurt you, you know that, right?"

Eren blinks as he sits back up.

"Yes, si-" Eren begins, and his eyes widen, his mouth immediately clamping shut. "Yes." He squeaks out instead, his heart pounding. He definitely deserves a punishment for that.. directly disobeying an order. Eren internally smacks himself.

_"You know better than that, slut."_

"I promise, kid, I'll never hurt you. You won't have to ever worry about that if you live with me." Levi says, and Eren doesn't believe it at all. But he still nods in response.

"Eren... why aren't you looking me in the eye? You don't need to apologize, I'm just wondering." Levi asks, and Eren swallows his fear.

"I'm not supposed to." Eren answers. "You're above me. It's not right for me to look at you as though we're equal."

Levi is silent for several moments.

"Eren..." he says softly, his voice tinged with sympathy. "You and I _are_ equal, Eren. I'm not above you at all. I promise, you can look me in the eye. I won't be mad at you."

Eren lets out a shaky breath. He knows Levi is trying to erase his training... he knows this is a trap. But he's so, so tempted to look up..

"Please, can you try to look at me?" Levi asks, and Eren swallows hard. He can't disobey an order, no matter how strange it is. He ever so slowly raises his eyes to meet Levi's and his breath catches in his throat. His eyes immediately dart away and he whimpers, sharp terror ripping through him. This is so, so wrong... Eren is going against everything he's learned in the past fifteen years, and his skin is crawling at the feeling. He's breathing hard, his body trembling slightly, his heart pounding quickly against his ribcage.

"You can do it, Eren.. I promise I won't hurt you. You can do it." Levi encourages, and Eren's eyes slowly raise to meet Levi's once again. He holds the eye contact that time, bile rising in his throat at the unusual prolonged eye contact.

Levi's eyes are silver. They're a cool, steel color, and they're beautiful. Levi is pale and has dark, black hair styled in an undercut. He has a crease between his eyebrows from furrowing them so much, but his expression is calm and hopeful. He has strong arms and seems well-built, despite his short height. Adrenaline rushes through Eren's system just from looking at him.

"There... see, it's not so bad, is it?" Levi says in a kind voice, and Eren's breath hitches, a memory of someone else saying that pushing its way through his mind. One of Eren's owners had said that to him after forcing his dick down Eren's throat.

_"There... see, it's not so bad, is it? You can take it, slut, I knew you could. It's like your mouth was made just for my cock. The only reason you're here is for your fuckholes, you know that, right? So just stay quiet and still like a good boy and let me use you for what you're alive for, dirty whore."_

Eren feels disconnected from reality, his mind going back to several awful memories, feeling like he's in that basement again... their rough hands are all over him, they're pounding into him, fucking his throat, spitting out curses and calling him horrible names.

Eren returns to reality a few minutes later when he hears Petra's voice, firmer than usual and repeating his name over and over.

Eren tenses and blinks, and his eyes focus on the bed. He suddenly notices that the sweatpants from the hospital are soaked through, and the familiar, sharp smell of urine is pervading the room. Eren bows down immediately once he realizes what happened, his heart hammering against his ribcage, knowing that a severe punishment always comes after this happens. Once, one of Eren's owners punished him by urinating in his mouth and forcing him to swallow it. Eren shivers in fear of the consequences.

"I'm so sorry- I-I'm _sorry_ \- I didn't mean to I'm so so sorry please please _please_ I swear I'll c-clean it up I promise I'll be a good boy I'm so sorry I didn't mean to _I didn't mean to_ -"

"Eren, darling, I promise it's okay. I'm not angry, I'm not upset with you. You don't need to apologize. Why don't we get you cleaned up, okay, sweetheart? There's no need to be embarrassed." Petra says, her voice calm and full of care.

But Eren isn't embarrassed.. he's just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for his inevitable punishment, because there's no way in _hell_ he can wet himself like that without any consequences. There are _always_ consequences.

Petra tells Eren to stand up and hands him a clean pair of boxers and sweatpants as she gathers the soiled sheets from the hospital bed, telling him to get changed. As Eren obeys, he suddenly realizes that Levi isn't in the room anymore.

Eren faintly wonders if he scared the man off... if Eren's accident caused a potential buyer to leave, he knows that won't go unpunished. But it seems like Petra isn't going to hurt him at all...?

Eren so badly wants to ask her if he'll be punished.. he wants to question her about what's going on, about why he isn't getting the treatment he deserves.

Petra leaves the room with the soiled sheets and returns with clean ones. She makes the bed by herself, and Eren doesn't understand why she doesn't make him do it instead.

Once she's done, she tells Eren to get back into the bed, and he easily obeys.

"There... so, Eren, what do you think about Levi?" Petra asks once he's settled on the bed.

"I don't have any thoughts, ma'am." Eren lies, knowing it's best to act like the mindless doll he's supposed to be. Petra sighs.

"Are you willing to live with him? I can vouch for him, Eren, I know he would do his best to take care of you. And he wouldn't bother you too much, since he's usually not the most talkative guy.. if you're comfortable with living with him, I think it's a good idea." Petra rephrases her question.

"I'm willing to do anything you want me to do, ma'am." Eren repeats his statement from earlier, hoping it's the correct answer.

"Eren... can you please look at me?" Petra asks softly, and Eren obeys, although every inch of him is fighting against it.

"Eren.. you aren't in that basement anymore, honey. You can make your own choices now. You don't have to just go along with whatever I say... your life is yours to live. _You_ choose where you go and what you do, Eren. Nobody else should choose that for you. You need to do what you want and what's best for you, okay, sweetie? You don't have to obey anyone anymore." Petra tries to explain, looking at him with meaningful eyes, sincerity pouring out of her.

Eren swallows at her words and stays completely silent, his eyes wide as he stares at her. This is part of the plan to reverse his training... they're testing his obedience again, he knows it. He won't let this happen. He won't lose all those years of training to the unrealistic, wishful thinking that he can live on his own terms. Eren won't let himself succumb to the temptation.

Petra tells Eren that she's going to go work out his paperwork to leave, and then she's gone. She returns not long afterwards, and gives Eren a baggy shirt to wear, although bandages are covering most of his torso. She tells Eren that she'll get the results back from his blood tests within the next few weeks, and she'll send them to Levi.

"I need to have a word with Levi outside for a moment, and then you're free to go, alright?" Petra says gently, and leaves the room. She leaves the door cracked, and Eren can faintly hear her conversation with Levi... he eavesdrops although he probably shouldn't, unable to stop his curiosity.

"He's ready to go whenever you are, Levi. You're positive that you're okay with him moving in?" Petra says in a quiet voice.

"Yeah... he needs somewhere to stay and you seem to like him, so I have no reason not to. There's no way in hell I'm letting him live on the street if I have an extra room." Levi replies, his voice honest.

"Levi.. I didn't tell you a lot about what happened to him because that's his right to talk about, but you need to know that he's been deeply traumatized. He seems to believe that he has no control over what happens to him.. he's been forced into being obedient for so long, Levi, that he doesn't really understand that he's free and that nobody is going to hurt him or force him into doing anything anymore. You need to make sure to give him options- help him learn that he can make independent choices of his own. Just... keep an eye on him, please, Levi?" Petra describes, her voice low and full of concern.

"I'll do my best to watch over him for you, Petra. You don't need to worry so much, alright? I promise, he's in good hands." Levi reassures her, and she sighs.

"Thanks, Levi. I really think he should see a therapist, too... can you try to bring that up with him sometime, whenever you two are more comfortable with each other?" Petra asks, her voice still worried.

"Yeah. Stop worrying, alright? I may not be the most sociable or qualified guy in the world, but I'll try my best to get to know him and help him recover from his trauma. I'll keep you updated on how he is." Levi replies, his voice calm and soothing.

Petra lets out another sigh, but this time, she sounds relieved.

"Thank you, Levi." She exhales. "I'll go get him now."

Eren's eyes are wide from the conversation when she walks in, but he forces himself to maintain a normal, blank expression.

"Are you ready to go, Eren?" Petra asks kindly.

"Yes, ma'am." Eren replies.

"Come on, then." She says, a smile audible in her voice.

Eren obediently stands up and follows her out the door, ignoring the familiar pain that comes with every step he takes.

"I wish I could come with you, but I still have to work and help other patients... I promise I'll come visit soon if you want me to, okay, Eren?" Petra says once they're out in the hall. Eren stands still, keeping his back straight, his legs shoulder-width apart, his arms limp by his sides, and his eyes focused on the ground. They like him standing in that position the best, because he is the most vulnerable that way.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am." Eren says automatically.

"Is it okay if I hug you, Eren?" Petra asks, her voice soft and non-threatening. Eren closes his eyes.

"Yes, ma'am." Eren says, his voice distant, unable to refuse.

Before Eren knows it, Petra's arms are wrapped around his body and she's holding him- not tightly... tenderly. Eren's body remains still but he relaxes a little, turning into putty beneath her touch, ready to be molded and used however she likes, since he knows he has no other choice. Unless he wants to get hurt.

Petra softly pats his back before pulling away from him. Eren waits for more touching- he waits for her to push him down onto his knees or rip his sweatpants off- but nothing of the sort happens.

"I'll see you both soon... drive safe, Levi." Petra says softly, and then she's gone.

"Let's go, shall we? Do you need any help walking, or are you okay...? I don't really know what injuries you have." Levi says.

"I'm okay." Eren says, looking up at him and not calling him 'sir,' following the man's unusual orders. "My injuries aren't bad enough for me to be unable to walk."

"Alright, let's go then." Levi says, leading the way out of the hospital. Eren trails behind him like an obedient little dog, his eyes lowered, since he doesn't know who could pass by him. If Eren raises his head and accidentally makes eye contact with one of his owners... Eren shivers at the thought of what would happen.

Levi leads Eren into the parking lot and to his car... the car is a beautiful royal blue color, and the insides are leather. Eren gets into the passenger's seat at Levi's request, but doesn't buckle himself up until Levi tells him to. Eren knows not to do anything at all without permission.

"Do you want to pick some music on the radio? The drive's about twenty minutes, we might as well listen to something." Levi prompts while he pulls out of the parking lot, and Eren can tell he's just trying to listen to what Petra said earlier. He's trying to let Eren make decisions on his own... this is trickery at its finest, and Eren won't let himself give in to it.

"I don't have any wants." Eren replies.

"I insist, kid. You choose." Levi pushes.

Eren swallows, knowing there's no way out of the direct order.

"I choose whichever music you like." Eren deflects the answer back to Levi.

"Mmm.. alright, kid. If you don't like it, you can change it, though." Levi states, pressing a few buttons on the radio, and soothing classical music pours out of the car speakers.

Eren looks out of the window while Levi drives, admiring the sky and the trees zooming past them. Neither of them speak, but they don't have to. The atmosphere in the car is calm and peaceful, and the music feels like it's soothing Eren's aching wounds- like it's healing his mind and his very bones.

The car slows to a stop after several minutes. Levi turns the engine off and unbuckles his own seatbelt, stating, "we're here," before getting out of the car. Eren stays still, since he hasn't been given any commands.

Levi takes a few steps, before glancing back at Eren in the car. He gestures at Eren to join him, and Eren quickly scrambles to get out of the car and rush to Levi's side, trying to avoid a punishment for being too slow.

Levi unlocks the front door and holds it open for Eren.

"After you, kid." He says, his voice sounding friendly and inviting. Eren nods a little and takes a few steps inside the house. It's a nice place... the grey couch in the living room looks soft and comfortable, and the TV in front of it is pretty big. There are a few canvases, paintbrushes, pencils, and papers messily spread across the black coffee table between the couch and the TV. A beautiful, colorful, watercolor painting of a mountain stands out from the other half-finished sketches on the table. Besides the chaos of art on the coffee table, the house seems pretty neat and welcoming. It smells nice... like pine needles. Eren scans the room for weapons or torture devices or anything threatening... he looks for ropes and handcuffs, but he sees nothing that could be used against him. Eren immediately thinks that Levi must keep that kind of stuff in the bedroom.

Levi closes and locks the front door, then walks up near Eren.

"So, do you want to see your room?" Levi asks, and Eren's shoulders relax a little. His room... Eren knows what that means.

"If you want to show it to me." Eren replies.

"Alright.. come on, then." Levi states, walking off down the hallway and opening a door. Eren follows obediently, stepping inside the room.

Confusion washes over Eren at the lack of restraints, weapons, and sex toys that he sees. The room is a comfortable size, with a basic bed, a nightstand, a lamp, and a closet. Eren wonders if Levi keeps his things in the nightstand drawer or in the closet.. or maybe he just isn't as kinky or sadistic as the men usually are. Eren waits for Levi to tell him to lay down on the bed and spread his legs.

Instead, Levi says, "I know it's not much, but hopefully you can feel comfortable and happy here. You can do whatever you want and go wherever in the house, I don't really mind... I mean, as long as you don't break anything or sneak into my room or something. But besides that, you're free to do whatever you want to do. I'm going to go sit on the couch and paint for a few hours, and I'll make us some dinner later. You can watch TV or grab a snack from the kitchen or go outside or do anything you want... Make yourself at home, kid."

Eren stares at him while he speaks, fighting to keep his expression blank through the shock and confusion spreading through him. Levi is just trying to fuck up Eren's training by giving him this 'freedom'.... although Eren desperately wants to believe that he's free, he forces himself to maintain an obedient mindset as Levi walks away, leaving the door open.

Eren takes a few deep breaths as he eyes the open door, extremely wary of the possibility of freedom staring him right in the face. The possibility of going outside, of _leaving..._

_Focus, Eren. What are your orders?_

Eren thinks back to what Levi just said. Levi's only direct orders were for Eren to not break anything or sneak into Levi's room, and to 'make himself at home.'

It's an unusual order, but Eren knows to follow it anyways. Eren is pretty sure 'making himself at home' means getting comfortable. He hasn't done that in so long, he barely knows how. Eren sits down on the edge of the bed and stays completely still, not sure what else to do. He keeps his feet flat on the floor, his hands folded in his lap, his back straight, and his eyes on the wall, waiting for more commands.

Eren hears faint classical music from the living room, and a sudden, random urge sprouts up in his mind to go sit on the couch with Levi and watch him paint. He imagines how peaceful that would feel, how nice it would be to sit next to a man without any pain, any pleasure, any touching or expectations...

Eren forces himself to snap out of it. He's just a fucktoy. A cumslut. A doll. A punching bag. Eren doesn't have any desires. Eren doesn't have any feelings. Eren doesn't have any thoughts, any wants, any imaginations. All he has and all he needs is his obedience. Eren is a mindless waste of space, existing only for the needs of other people.

_"You need to learn your place, you piece of shit. You need to have some damn respect.. sluts like you need to be taught a lesson."_

Eren swallows and breathes deeply, clearing his mind of any curiosity and any cravings. It's always better to be empty. It's less painful that way.

Several hours pass before Levi walks back into the room. Eren looks up at him immediately. He seems about the same, although his hair is messier, and paint is staining his hands and shirt.

"Hey, Eren... I'm about to make us some dinner, do you like pizza? Are you allergic to it or anything?" Levi asks casually, and Eren blinks.

"I'm not allergic to anything. I like whatever you want me to like." Eren says immediately.

Levi looks him over quizzically for a few moments before raising an eyebrow.

"Have... have you just been sitting here the whole time?" Levi wonders, confusion taking over him.

"Yes." Eren replies honestly.

Levi's eyes widen.

"Why...? I promise you can do whatever you want in my house, Eren- pick out a movie to watch, read a book, take a nap... you didn't have to just sit there. You're free to do whatever you wish, you understand that, right?" Levi asks, sounding concerned.

"Yes, I understand." Eren says, not understanding.

"Alright..." Levi murmurs, silent for a few seconds. "Do you want to make pizza with me? I can teach you how, if you want."

"I'm willing to do anything you want me to do." Eren repeats the phrase that he's said thousands of times before.

Levi's expression fills with a combination of sadness, concern, and sympathy at those words. He quickly covers it up, but Eren sees through his mask. He feels bad for Eren, and Eren doesn't understand it at all.

"Come on, then, kid. Let's make some pizza." Levi says with a little smile before stepping out of the room.

Eren follows him to the kitchen, which is as neat and cozy as the rest of the house.

Eren stands and watches in silence as Levi pulls out ingredients from the cabinets and the refrigerator.

Levi grabs two packages of pizza dough, opens both of them, and places them on two wooden boards on the counter.

"Have you ever made a pizza before, kid?" Levi questions as he spreads flour across the dough, his voice casual, undemanding.

Eren shakes his head and stops himself from apologizing, since it doesn't seem like Levi enjoys that.

"Alright, no worries. I'll walk you through it. The first thing we need to do is knead the dough into the shape that we want." Levi states. "You can use a rolling pin if you want, but I like using my hands."

Eren nods at the instructions. He watches as Levi leans forward and presses his hands into the dough, pushing it down and spreading it apart with his hands.

Eren stands next to him, cautiously reaching forward and touching the other ball of dough. He attempts to copy Levi, although Levi's dough ends up being more evenly spread out and rounder than his. Eren can feel Levi's eyes on him as he tries to knead his dough further, and fear burns in Eren's throat. Levi is waiting for him to get it right... he'll punish Eren if he doesn't hurry up. Eren bites his lip in fear and pushes the dough more, faster, as far apart as he can, but it doesn't look as good and neat as Levi's. When Eren realizes that his isn't as good, he immediately drops to his knees on the ground and bows down at Levi's feet.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Levi, I'm sorry, I tried but it's not good enough and I'm sorry I'm so sorry please-" Eren begs in desperation, tensing his body as he waits for the beating, but Levi just cuts him off by shushing him.

"Shhh.. it's okay, Eren, I promise you're okay. I'm not mad at you, I'm not going to hurt you, okay? You did a good job, kid- it doesn't have to be perfect." Levi says reassuringly, kneeling down by Eren's side. Eren looks up at him with disbelief in his eyes.

"I won't ever hurt you, Eren- especially not over anything as silly as making pizza. I know it'll take time before you feel safe around me, but I swear, I will never hurt you for doing something wrong."

Eren swallows hard as he searches Levi's silver eyes for any malice, but all he sees is pure sincerity.

"You don't ever need to apologize to me or beg me not to hurt you, Eren. I will never hit you or yell at you or do anything to harm you." Levi continues, and Eren barely keeps his expression from crumpling at those kind words.

"Th..thank you." Eren breathes, speechless.

"No problem, kid. Can you stand up?" Levi replies.

Eren nods and stands quickly. Levi helps him spread pizza sauce across the dough. When Eren winces at the realization that Levi's sauce is spread out better than his, Levi smiles at him kindly and tells him that he's doing great. Eren almost melts at the praise and tension falls from his shoulders.. praise is always good. Praise is safe.

Levi opens up all the containers of ingredients, then looks up at Eren expectantly.

"Now, you can choose whichever toppings you like. You spread them around all over the pizza, wherever you want.. you can either have a lot of toppings or barely have any. It's your choice." Levi says, grabbing a handful of pepperoni and dropping it in random spots across his pizza.

Eren blinks, his chest tightening. His only commands are to put toppings on his pizza, but he doesn't know which ones to use.

He looks at Levi helplessly, his bright green eyes full of fear. Levi senses his discomfort and shoots him a little friendly grin.

"Here, I'll help you. Do you like mushrooms?" Levi asks, and Eren feels terror shoot through him.

 _Like_. Eren hasn't been asked what he likes in ages... he hasn't given any thought to it since he was little.

"Yes..?" Eren replies, a bit uncertain, his heart pounding at the choice.

Levi picks up a handful of mushrooms and places them all across Eren's pizza.

"What else? Do you like black olives?" Levi wonders. Eren hesitates... he has no idea what those taste like, but they look gross. He shouldn't lie to Levi about what he likes, but refusing food of any kind is disobedient... Eren remembers when he was new, and he refused a bowl of soup they gave him because he didn't like soup. They had made another bowl of soup and forced it down Eren's throat while it was boiling, burning and blistering the insides of Eren's throat, causing it to ache terribly for a long time.

Eren knows that he can't refuse anything. He can't have preferences. He needs to be a good boy.

"I like whatever you want me to like." Eren says after a few moments.

Levi's expression falters at the obedient answer, and he tries a different approach.

"Have you ever tried black olives before?" Levi asks, and Eren shakes his head.

"Are you willing to try them?" Levi pushes, and Eren nods immediately.

"I'm willing to do anything you want me to do." He says mindlessly.

Levi's expression fills with sadness again, but he continues. He holds out the bag of black olives, and gestures for Eren to take some.

Eren cautiously picks up a few and brings them to his mouth at Levi's encouraging nods.

He keeps his expression blank as he chews on them, but internally, he's cringing at the sour taste. They're disgusting.. Eren makes sure not to show it.

"Do you like how they taste?" Levi asks.

Eren's heart pounds at the question and he hesitates, immediately bowing his head, his eyes squeezed shut. He can't say no, he can't say no, he _can't say no....._ Eren's mind is hazy with stress and confusion. How is he supposed to answer Levi if he can't say no, but he's not supposed to lie? Fear swells up within him.

"I-I- I like whatever you w-want me to like, please, I'm sorry..." Eren cries, dragging breathless gasps into his lungs, full of terror. What does Levi want him to say..? Eren's legs buckle and he almost falls to his knees again, but Levi's voice stops him.

"Shhh, it's okay, Eren, I promise you it's okay. You're okay. You haven't done anything wrong, kid, and I'm not gonna hurt you." Levi says, his voice clear and soothing. "I'm sorry for pushing you. You've been through a lot today, so you don't have to make any decisions just yet, okay? You can take your time. But I want you to know this, Eren- you're allowed to dislike things and say no if you don't want them."

Eren's mouth goes dry at the statement.. it sounds so simple and easy, but the idea of it overwhelms him. It can't be true, it just _can't_.

Eren relaxes slightly as Levi starts to make the decisions for him. He feels much better with Levi taking control over him like he's supposed to. Levi eventually settles on ham, pineapple, and mushrooms for Eren's pizza, telling Eren that he's very sorry if he doesn't like any of those toppings. Eren feels dizzy and worn out by the time Levi puts all the toppings on.. so much has happened so fast, Eren can't keep up. He hasn't been punished at all for his fuck-ups and Levi says that he's actually allowed to choose something he likes.. he's allowed to say no. It's all very exciting and terrifying for Eren, even if he doesn't have the strength to make those decisions yet. The possibility of having a choice is overwhelming enough on its own.

Levi helps Eren cover his pizza in mozzarella cheese, and then they put their little pizzas in the oven to cook.

"So.. what should we do while we wait? Talk, watch some TV..?" Levi asked, sounding awkward and forced.

"I'm willing to do anything you want me to do." Eren repeats.

Levi exhales heavily, his shoulders slumping a bit. A few minutes pass in complete silence while the two of them look at each other.

"I can't imagine how overwhelming all of this must be for you." Levi eventually says, his voice serious. "I don't really know what happened to you, but it seems like the transition between your life before and your life now has been a huge change.. so you'll need some time to adjust. I really, _really_ want you to understand that you're free now, Eren. You can make your own choices now, and I want to make sure that you know that. But you should take some time to rest, heal, and get comfortable with your life here, too. I'll try not to push you too hard with making choices... I think I've pushed you hard enough today. Just know that you're allowed to deny things. You're allowed to do what you want to do, and I don't ever want to control your actions, okay, Eren? You're free, and you should have some time to get used to that."

Eren stares at him in silence, his heart pounding, his head aching with confusion as he tries to process this. He nods at those words, acting like he understands.

"If you ever have any questions about anything, please ask me, Eren. I know it'll take some time before we can talk comfortably, but I want to do whatever I can to help you." Levi says, his voice calm and nice to Eren's ears.

He nods in response. He knows he'll never be able to ask any of the hundreds of questions buzzing around in his head, but he's still grateful for Levi's kind words.

Soon enough, the oven beeps, and Levi pulls out the hot pizzas. He cuts them into equal slices and puts two slices of Eren's pizza on a plate, and two slices of his pizza on another.

"Is it okay with you if I put something on TV while we eat?" Levi wonders while he pulls two water bottles out of the fridge, and Eren nods immediately.

They both sit down on the couch with their pizza, and Levi picks out a movie on Netflix for them to watch and presses play.

Eren sits still while Levi takes several bites of his pizza, knowing not to eat without permission. After a few minutes, Levi glances over and notices that Eren hasn't eaten anything yet.

"What's wrong, kid?" Levi asks, concerned.

Eren blinks at him.

"Nothing's wrong." He answers.

"Why aren't you eating anything..? If you don't want the pizza, you can grab something else from the fridge, I don't mind."

"I haven't been given permission. I can't eat unless I'm told to." Eren states mechanically. When they were first training Eren to be obedient, they forced him to say those kinds of phrases over and over and over again as they shoved food in front of him. He had to repeat that until his throat was raw.

Levi's expression softens at his words.

"You can eat, Eren. You can eat whatever you want whenever you want. I promise you don't need my permission to eat.. I'd never hurt you for eating, or for anything else." Levi reassures. He sighs a little at Eren's blank expression.

"I'm sorry- I shouldn't be lecturing you like this. It'll take time before you completely understand these things." Levi apologizes, confusing Eren further. "You can eat- that's my point. Go ahead, kid."

After that, Levi and Eren stay silent for the rest of the movie, chewing quietly on their pizzas, which are better than anything Eren has eaten in the last fifteen years. Eren has barely eaten anything besides occasional, cheap, stale food... the only times he ate well were when one of his buyers felt generous, or the few times when his owners wanted to reward him for his good behavior by taking him out to eat. And, even then, the food always came with a price.

The movie ends after awhile. Eren hasn't really watched movies since he was a little kid, and he's very grateful for the simple entertainment. It's a luxury for him.. he vividly remembers the one time that they took him out to the movie theater. It wasn't too long ago- maybe a few weeks? Months? They took him to the theater's bathroom, and one of them made him bend over in the stall. He roughly yanked Eren's pants and underwear down and fingered him for a few minutes before forcing an object inside of him. He told Eren that it was a vibrator, and commanded him to keep it inside of him for the entire movie without making a sound. Then, they sat down in the middle of the theater, surrounded by other people. Once the movie started, one of them pressed a button on a remote, and Eren felt the object start buzzing inside of him. The man next to him slowly reached into his pants and began stroking him, and the vibrator was suddenly turned up to its highest setting. The man on the other side of Eren started licking and sucking at his neck... and all of this was happening in public. Eren dug his nails into the armrests of the chair and bit his lip to hold in his moans, his eyes rolling into the back of his head at the vibrations against his prostate. He was hard, incredibly hard, unable to help himself with the pleasure coursing through his body. Eren was panting and biting his lip so hard that he started bleeding.. he felt himself getting closer and closer to climaxing. He was trembling, his breathing erratic, his body overwhelmed with the desire for release.

Once Eren was on the edge, _seconds_ away from an orgasm, all of his owners pulled away from him completely. The vibrator was still going, mercilessly, making his legs shake uncontrollably from the pleasure.

" _Don't you dare cum_." One of his owners whispered menacingly in his ear, making him shiver and grip the armrests tighter, nodding quickly at the order.

It took all of his willpower to hold it in, to keep himself from release, to force the desire so far down, down, _down_ in order to obey his owners. Eren held in a pathetic, mewling whine that threatened to escape his lips, desperate, aching, but knowing not to disobey.

After a few minutes passed and Eren wasn't on the brink of orgasm anymore, they began teasing him again, stroking and sucking his sensitive skin until he was a hot, sweaty mess of need and despair. They brought him to the edge of orgasm over and over and over and over throughout the entire movie, never giving him a break, never allowing him any relief, torturing him endlessly.

And Eren never made a sound.

"Eren... Eren, are you with me?" A distant voice calls to him.

Eren slowly blinks and returns to reality, his eyes eventually focusing on Levi in front of him on the couch.

"Are you okay, kid? You didn't respond to me for a few minutes there..." Levi asks worriedly, looking Eren over in concern.

"I'm okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.." Eren apologizes and bows his head, his voice trailing off, not wanting to piss Levi off by apologizing too much.

"It's alright, kid. I'm just glad you're okay." Levi says. "I think I'm going to paint for a little while longer before going to bed.. I don't mind if you wanna stay in here or go to bed or do anything else you wanna do."

Eren swallows and sits still, unsure of which option Levi would rather have him do. He decides to just stay there.. it seems like the safest choice.

Levi puts on soothing, classical music and starts painting. After several minutes, Eren realizes that he's painting a woman. He wonders who she is, but he knows not to ask any questions.

The atmosphere in the room is very peaceful as Eren watches Levi paint. Neither of them speak, and neither of them need to. It's very comfortable.. Eren finds his muscles relaxing after a few minutes, letting his guard down. He knows that Levi could lash out at him at any moment.. he knows that he should keep his guard up and be prepared, but he can't help himself from relaxing. It's too tempting to resist.

A long time passes before Levi puts the painting down. It isn't finished yet, but it's incredibly beautiful.. the woman in the painting expresses so much sadness and despair that Eren can practically feel it. The woman is bruised and silent tears are on her cheeks.. Eren can see the hopelessness in her eyes. The beauty and honesty pouring out of the painting leaves Eren completely speechless.

"I'll keep working on that tomorrow.. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." Levi states, stretching his arms and yawning before glancing over at Eren.

"I think I'm gonna try to sleep now.. come get me if you need anything, okay, Eren?" Levi says, standing up.

Eren nods quickly.

"Goodnight, kid.. get some rest, okay?" Levi says gently, nodding at Eren and giving him a tiny, kind smile.

Eren nods back, watching Levi as he walks away. He wonders if he's supposed to go to his room or not... his only orders are to get some rest. Does it matter where he sleeps..? Eren knows that his buyers in the past have had specific preferences. He's been told to sleep on the floor, in cages, in closets, in dog houses outside, and in men's laps... he usually has specific instructions. Right now, he has none. Levi seems comfortable with allowing Eren on the couch and in his bed.. Eren bites his lip, unsure. He eventually settles with sleeping on the couch. He lays down and allows himself to relax, forcing every thought out of his mind in order to obey Levi's orders and get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading !!!! I'd love to hear any thoughts you have about this fic.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's another chapter !! this one was pre-written, so im really sorry if it takes a while before the next one comes. anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Eren wakes up the next morning to a delicious smell. He isn't sure what it is, and he pushes his eyes open, curious. He immediately notices that a thick blanket is covering his body, pulled up all the way to his chin. He isn't in any pain.. it takes a few moments before he remembers that he's owned by Levi now.

Eren can hear some kind of sizzling noise in the kitchen.. his mind immediately flashes to whenever they branded him, and his skin sizzled and blistered from the heat. Eren can almost feel the brand on his chest burning at the memory.. he swallows and forces his thoughts away. He needs to focus on the present. On obeying Levi. That's all that matters to him right now, and he needs to stop his mind from wandering.

A few minutes pass before Levi walks into the living room and notices that Eren's awake.

"Oh- hey, good morning, kid." Levi says, and Eren nods in response. "You can sleep wherever you want, I don't really care- but I can't help but ask, why sleep on the couch?"

Eren swallows nervously.

"You told me to get some rest.. I d-didn't know where you wanted me t-to go. I'm sorry. I didn't know, I'm sorry..." Eren apologizes, sitting up and quickly bowing down, knowing he made the wrong choice.

"It's okay, Eren, I promise you don't need to apologize. You can sleep wherever you want- I just figured a bed might be more comfortable." Levi says, and Eren reluctantly raises his head. "I made some breakfast for us, by the way. If you wanna go sit down at the dining table, I'll bring it to you in a sec."

Eren immediately goes over to the dining table and sits down, shoving down his creeping feelings of excitement. Levi made breakfast, and he's letting Eren have some..? Eren tries not to get his hopes up, but he can't help himself. He was allowed dinner yesterday, and breakfast now? This feels wrong.. he hasn't done anything to earn a reward. He knows he doesn't deserve any food. But he wants it anyways.

_"You're a bad boy. Fucking disgusting.. greedy little whore."_

Levi walks into the room and hands Eren a water bottle and a plate full of food. It has bacon, scrambled eggs, and French toast on it.. it looks and smells amazing, and Eren can feel his mouth watering. But he remains as still and blank-faced as possible, knowing not to give in.

Levi takes a few bites of his food and looks up at Eren in confusion. After a few moments, realization sinks in, and he suddenly looks like he's aged.. his expression is weary.

"You can eat, Eren." He says softly, and Eren bows his head, relieved.

"Thank you." Eren says, his voice extremely grateful.

He raises his head and takes a small bite of the food.. it tastes as good as he thought it would, and it overwhelms him. Even after pleasing his owners as much as he possibly could, Eren never got food as delicious as this. It feels like he's stealing an undeserved reward.. maybe Levi is just rewarding him prematurely? Maybe Eren is supposed to do something to thank Levi, to repay him for his kind treatment...?

Eren eats his food in thankful- albeit confused- silence, and halfway through the meal, notices the pressure building on his bladder. He's tempted to ask Levi if he's allowed to use the bathroom, but he's terrified that Levi will lash out and hurt him. Levi did say that Eren could come to him with any questions he has.. but Eren hasn't had the luxury of asking questions in so long that it feels like an insurmountable obstacle. Levi would probably be more pissed if Eren ruined his bedsheets than if he asked a question, but Eren is completely terrified to try.

He knows he'll get a punishment either way... Eren eventually gains the courage to open his mouth.

"L-" he begins, but fear swallows him up immediately, and panic seizes his chest. He quickly shoves his head down and squeezes his eyes shut, waiting for the blow to land. But it never does.

"What is it, kid?" Levi asks, his voice non-threatening.

"L-Levi.." Eren tries again, his voice shaking, his heart hammering in his chest. He hasn't spoken out of turn in so, so long.. it's been years since he's spoken without being spoken to first.

"Yeah?" Levi says, his voice encouraging Eren to continue.

"A-am I a-allowed t-t-to use th-the b-bathroom?" Eren stutters, and immediately bows his head down as far as he can, tensing up and gasping for breath as he waits for the inevitable pain.

"Of course you are, Eren. Breathe.. can you sit up for me?" Levi replies, looking at Eren with care as he sits back up.

"What makes you think you're not allowed, kid..?" Levi asks, his voice concerned.

"I-I'm not a-allowed to g-go anywhere w-w-without permission." Eren answers, feeling shaky and nervous after speaking out of turn.

"I promise, Eren.. in my house and in any other house you live in from here on out, you're allowed to go wherever you want. You'll never have to deal with those kinds of strict rules again.. you have the right to go anywhere and do anything you want." Levi tries to explain, but Eren just can't wrap his mind around it. Why would Eren 'want' to do anything? Eren has no wants. Eren is a good boy. Eren lives for the pleasure of others. Eren exists to serve, to be played with, to be used, to be taken. But not to 'want.'

Eren nods at Levi's confusing words.

"The bathroom is down the hall and to the left, kid." Levi tells him. Eren's body is trembling as stands up and walks down the hall, expecting Levi to yell or throw something at him as he walks.

But Eren makes it to the bathroom unharmed. He opens the door and glances up to see someone standing in front of him. Eren instinctively bows his head.. but then he notices that the person does, too. He inhales sharply when he realizes that he's looking at his reflection, and his head snaps up to look at himself, shocked.

Eren hasn't seen himself since he was ten.. he has no idea what he looked like while he was growing up, and looking in the mirror is like looking at a complete stranger. Eren doesn't recognize himself, and it's an awful feeling. He has a tangled, messy, brown mop of hair on his head.. that, at least, he remembers. His eyes aren't as big as he recalls, and they're a lot duller and emptier than they should be. They're still a forest green color, but not as lively and childish as they used to be. Eren's skin is much paler, and he's very thin- his cheeks are hollow and he looks like a skeleton. Eren's face has patches of multicolored bruises all across it, and he has bandages across his neck, hiding vicious hickeys and cuts. Eren can still see a few bite marks and bruises on his collarbones, though. Eren is shocked by how much older he looks... he doesn't look like he's in his twenties, but any hints of the child he used to be have been wiped away. Eren is empty. A clean slate. Properly trained and conditioned to be the toy that he is.

Eren finally tears his eyes away from the mirror to use the toilet, his heart feeling heavier than before.

He returns to the dining table immediately after, deciding not to look at himself again. It brings on emotions and thoughts that Eren can't afford to have.

He and Levi spend the rest of their meal in silence. For the next few hours, Eren sits with Levi while he finishes his painting from the night before and starts on a new one. Eren keeps his mind completely blank.

Eventually, Levi's phone buzzes. He sighs and picks up his phone, clicking on the notification.

He types a quick message, then glances up at Eren.

"Petra just texted me- she says that we should probably change your bandages and put fresh ones on." Levi explains. "Do you wanna take a shower, and then I can help you put bandages on afterwards?"

Eren nods mechanically.

"Alright.. hold on, I'll go find some clothes for you to change into." Levi states before leaving the room for a few minutes. He comes back soon after, holding a pile of clothes in his hand.

"C'mon, kid." Levi states, nodding his head towards the bathroom. Eren immediately stands up and follows after him. Eren rarely ever has showers... usually, his owners just hose him down with freezing water. Sometimes, his buyers like to fuck him in the shower. It's better than baths, at least... baths either mean boiling hot water, freezing cold water, or dunking his head in the water over and over until he passes out. Baths are a more severe punishment, so Eren is grateful. This won't hurt as badly.

Levi sets the pile of clothes down on the counter, then pulls back the shower curtain.

"Turn the knob left for hot, right for cold. Take as much time as you need- I don't really mind if the hot water runs out. Oh, and take off your bandages first.. the water might sting on your injuries, but it's better to clean them out than to get them infected, y'know?" Levi says. "Come get me whenever you're changed and I'll help you with the bandages, okay?"

Levi walks out and closes the door behind him after Eren nods. He's leaving Eren alone to shower, and he's not going to fuck him... odd. Eren hasn't washed himself in years. The few times his buyers have actually let him shower, they've stayed with him and washed his body themselves, like he was a pet or a prized toy.

But Levi is letting Eren do it on his own. Eren takes a deep breath before taking off his clothes. He refuses to look at his own body.. he knows what it looks like well enough by now. His stomach is caved in and his hipbones protrude from his skin.. his entire body is littered with dozens of scars, marks, wounds, and bruises. Eren peels the bandages away from his fresher injuries and steps into the shower before turning the water on.

He spends a few minutes standing still beneath the cascading water, his eyes barely closed, sighing in relief as the gentle warmth spreads over his body. He feels safe. It seems like the shower curtain is blocking Eren from the rest of humanity... the entire universe is just made up of Eren and the water raining down on him. He allows himself the selfish pleasure of doing nothing besides breathing deeply and relaxing, taking advantage of the rare pleasure of being alone.

Eventually, Eren picks up the sponge and pours a bit of body wash onto it. He hesitantly presses it against his arm and starts to lightly scrub at his body.. it's been so long since his last actual shower that Eren barely knows how to wash himself. His movements are tentative and careful, afraid of doing something wrong and messing up Levi's toy. Eren glances down after a few minutes to see the water turning a reddish brown from the dried blood and dirt coming off of his skin. He washes his body twice to make sure that he's clean enough... he hisses softly at the pain when he washes his lower body. It stings.. but that's nothing new to Eren. He pushes through the pain, cleansing himself thoroughly in case Levi wants to use him later, but not touching his dick at all. He isn't allowed to touch himself there- not without specific permission from his owners. Eren washes his hair twice afterwards, and it's a long time until he's finally satisfied.

Eren steps out of the shower and awkwardly pats his body with a towel before pulling on the clothes that Levi set out for him. He exits the bathroom immediately once he's changed, and the cool air from the hallway is pleasant against his skin. Eren feels so refreshed and clean from the shower.. he hasn't felt this way in a long time, and he soaks it up while he can. Eren silently returns to the living room to see Levi working on a sketch. Levi glances up at him and nods a little.

"Hey there, kid. Come with me to the bathroom in my room and I'll get your bandages all fixed up." Levi states, putting down his art and leading Eren into his room. Eren doesn't look at Levi's bedroom at all, focusing on his orders instead.

When they get into the bathroom, Levi clears a spot on the edge of the bathtub and gestures for Eren to sit down while he rummages to find a first aid kit. After a few seconds, he pulls it out of the cabinet.

"I'm really sorry to ask this, but can you take off your shirt, kid? I'll be as quick as I can, and I promise I won't judge you or hurt you." Levi asks, sounding apologetic. But Eren just nods and removes his shirt as quickly as he can before setting it to the side.

He sees shock and sadness take over Levi's face for a few moments as he looks at Eren's wounds, but then he regains his composure.

"Fuck.. I'm so sorry for everything you've gone through, Eren." Levi says, his voice genuine and mournful.

"It's okay." Eren responds immediately.

"It's not okay, kid... nobody should ever go through the amount of pain that you have. Nobody deserves it, except maybe the people who did this to you." Levi says before smearing a cool ointment over one of Eren's recent burns. He presses a bandage over the burn with care.

Eren keeps his body motionless but relaxed enough for Levi to use it however he wants. Eren feels calm and content as Levi gently bandages him up.. breakfast, a shower, _and_ this.... god, Eren is being spoiled beyond belief.

_"Spoiled brat.. maybe some pain will put the slut in its place."_

"I'm proud of you for being able to deal with this, Eren. You're stronger than you know." Levi confesses, spreading ointment across one of Eren's whip marks from the other day.

Eren almost melts underneath the sudden praise.

"Thank you." He breathes in euphoric relief.

Levi bandages Eren up for a few more minutes before he's done.

"There... that's better. I'm sorry if that hurt at all, kid. Do you want any painkillers?" Levi asks.

"If you want me to have them." Eren answers obediently.

"Are you in any pain?" Levi rephrases.

"No. My injuries don't hurt anymore. I'm healed enough to do anything that you want me to do." Eren replies. He's a little sore, and if he presses anything too hard against his wounds, it stings like hell. But he's used to that. He's used to much, much worse by now.

"I'm glad you're feeling alright, kid." Levi says. "Do you have anything in mind that you'd like to do today? You can suggest anything you'd like, kid. Your choice. But it's okay if you can't think of anything."

Eren swallows and blinks, a memory surfacing.

_"Pick your punishment, bitch. Your choice. Knife, candle, or rope."_

Eren had chosen the candle. His owners burned it over his naked body, allowing the burning hot wax to drip over his exposed neck, torso, dick, thighs... until the entire candle was gone. They told Eren not to move a muscle or make a sound as this happened, and left him unrestrained. Eren managed to obey, his lip trapped between his teeth as he bit down his shrieks, his muscles stiff and screaming to get away from the pain. But he was still as a statue. Obedient.

Eren clears his throat, forcing the memory back in his mind. _Focus._

"I want to do whatever you want me to do." Eren finally states.

"Mmm.. maybe we could go outside today. But I don't want to push you too much, if you're uncomfortable with that, kid. The.. the people you were with before the police found you. Did they let you go outside?" Levi asks carefully.

"Yes. They took me out whenever I was good." Eren responds, and Levi's expression falters. Eren wonders why... he didn't even mention the torture or the auctions.

"So do you think you can handle going out? You can say no." Levi tells him. Eren nods quickly. Going outside usually means public humiliation and sexual torture, but Eren knows he should be grateful for any glimpse of the outside world.

_"We could just lock you in this basement for the rest of your life instead, you little shit. Show some gratitude.. get on your knees."_

Levi spends several minutes getting ready to leave before they get in his car together.

"I think we should go get some clothes for you tomorrow." Levi states on the way to wherever they're going. Eren stays silent. He remembers when they took him to 'get clothes'... they brought Eren to a sexual store and commanded him to try on all sorts of lingerie. They told him to get in certain degrading positions and took dozens of pictures of him. They made Eren get on his knees in the dressing room and beg for them to buy him the lingerie.. he had to convince them he was a dirty slut, and they all got hard from his pathetic groveling. He remembers they told him their boners were his fault, and that he should 'take care of it.' They took pictures of him sucking them off, and Eren left the store with cum on his lips. They returned to that store again sometime later, paying the owner to let them test out the sex toys. They used every single one of them to tease Eren, using a dozen on him at once, torturing him mercilessly and forcing a ring around his dick that prevented his release. They spent the day in that fitting room and eventually handcuffed Eren to the pole on the side of the wall, forcing him to stay in the fitting room for days, paying the owner to keep him there. Eren had to stay silent with sex toys relentlessly forcing him to the brink of orgasm for what felt like months.

It was hell.

Eren shudders at the memories, heart pounding as he looks out the window, praying that Levi doesn't have the same thoughts in mind when it comes to 'getting clothes.'

Eren clears his mind of all his memories, staying blissfully empty for the rest of the car ride.

Levi parks after awhile, and Eren glances up reluctantly, expecting the worst.

But he sees grass. With swings. And benches. No other people, no weapons, no threats. It looks peaceful. Safe.

"I figured we should go to a park. It seems like you're used to going outside, but I don't want to rush you with anything... so this looked like a good place to start." Levi explains, stepping out of the car and pulling a backpack over his shoulder.

"C'mon, kid." Levi says in a friendly voice before shutting his door. Eren scrambles to get out of the car and follow after Levi. They walk in peaceful silence for a few minutes down a sidewalk. It's a beautiful day... the grass is a vivid green color, the sun is bright, the sky is a gorgeous, pure, blue color.. a few scattered clouds pass through the sky and the wind blows lightly every few moments. It's nice. Serene. But all Eren can think about is what kind of items are in Levi's backpack.. he never gets a trip outside without a catch.

They eventually sit down on a bench, and Levi puts his backpack down. Eren waits nervously to see what's in store for him.. what pain and/or pleasure he'll have to endure today.

When Levi pulls out a container of food, Eren stares in silence, wondering if it's poisonous.

He opens the container and hands a napkin-wrapped sandwich out to Eren. Eren cautiously, hesitantly reaches out and takes it, looking at the sandwich like he's looking at an alien, trying to figure out how to feel about it.

"I don't really know what sorts of things people usually do for fun. I always come out to this spot to paint... so I thought we could make it into a picnic. It might be a stupid idea, but I don't really give a shit." Levi says, taking a bite of his sandwich, sounding like he's talking to himself. He glances over at Eren. "You can eat, kid. I'm not sure what kind of food you like, but you can take anything."

Levi pulls out a few bags of chips, a box full of fresh fruit, and a small container of cookies. He hands Eren a cold water bottle, and grabs one for himself.

"Help yourself, kid." Levi says.

Eren is completely in awe. He's getting two meals in a day...? _And_ he had dinner yesterday. What the actual hell.. it feels like Eren's world has been turned upside down.

Eren slowly takes a bite of his sandwich, and closes his eyes in bliss at the taste. This is too good to be true... the cool breeze is blowing gently through Eren's hair and the sun is beaming down on him while he eats a delicious meal, put together by a kind man who hasn't hurt him yet. This seems like a situation Eren would make up in his head in an attempt to escape the painful reality of torture, but it's real.

Eren bites into a bright red strawberry and almost moans out loud at the taste. This is better than anything Eren has eaten in so, so long... he's suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of gratefulness. He drops to his knees on the ground and bows at Levi's feet, tears burning in his eyes.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much Levi thank you thank you thank you, I'm so grateful for this and all that you've done for me, Levi, thank you, I'd do anything to repay you..." Eren says, sincerity pouring out of his emotional words.

"Whoa there, Eren... it's no problem, okay, kid? You don't have to repay me for anything. All I want you to do is focus on getting better and working towards your own happiness, kid. Please, sit up.." Levi replies, his expression sad as Eren sits back on the bench. Eren feels a pang in his chest.. usually, the men love it when Eren thanks them like that.

"I'm sorry." Eren murmurs, lowering his eyes and taking a small bite of his sandwich. Fucking idiot.. he's always doing everything wrong.

"It's okay, kid." Levi reassures, his voice soft.

He pulls a sketchbook and a pencil out of his back, and flips to a new page. He begins sketching, eating a few chips and pieces of fruit every few minutes. Eren chews quietly and stares up at the sky, doing his best to keep his mind blank. But he can't stop his thoughts from drifting. What if Levi really means all that he's saying? What if this is really his life now? What if his pain is.. over? What if those men really are gone, and Eren really is free?

"What're you thinking about, kid?" Levi wonders after a few minutes, and Eren inhales sharply at the sudden words. Is this a trick question..?

"N-nothing." Eren stammers. Levi glances up at him with a mix of curiosity and suspicion in his eyes.

"What's going on? You can tell me, kid. I'm not going to hurt you." Levi promises, and Eren lets out a shaky breath.

"I'm j-just wondering.. if you... r-r-really mean.. the things y-you say." Eren forces out, breathing raggedly from the effort it took to say that.

"What things?" Levi pushes, his voice encouraging.

"Th-things like.. you telling m-me.. I have ch-choices. I-it's just.. h-hard to.. believe." Eren chokes out, and suddenly whimpers at the realization of what he's done. He's _questioning_. Thinking. Disrespecting his owner.

_"How fucking dare you question us, you filthy piece of garbage!? You're not allowed to think, you worthless whore..! Pets like you don't get the privilege of wondering. Now fucking bend over before I lose my patience."_

He drops to the ground again and bows down, fear seizing his throat with an icy grip. Questioning his owners always leads to the most terrible punishments..

"I-I'm s-sorry for d-doubting you, Levi, i-it's not m-m-y place, I-I'm so s-sorry...!" Eren apologizes, his voice weak and full of scared desperation.

"Eren..." Levi exhales, his voice full of sorrow. "Please sit up, Eren... it's okay. I'm not angry with you at all. You can doubt me, you can ask me questions- I swear, I don't mind that at all. You've done nothing wrong."

Eren is shaking as he sits up, his eyes filling with simultaneously confused, scared, and grateful tears. He doesn't understand.. he _doesn't understand..._

"Your doubts are completely justified, kid. I don't exactly know what happened to you, but it makes sense for you to doubt your freedom when you haven't had it for awhile. It'll take some time to get used to, and I understand if you don't trust me right now. But I swear to you on my parents' graves that you're free, and that I will never intentionally hurt you. Whoever used to hurt you has no control over you now. Please talk to me if you ever have any questions or want to vent about anything, kid.. I'm here to help if you need it." Levi tells Eren, his voice sincere and full of compassion as he promises impossible things to Eren.

Eren's eyes water and tears threaten to spill at Levi's overwhelming words, but he forces them back. He takes a few deep breaths and nods, unsure of how to handle that information.

"Thank you, Levi." Eren whispers.

"Anytime, kid." Levi replies, giving Eren a meaningful look before returning to his sketch.

They sit in silence as Levi's words spin through Eren's muddled mind... he thinks about what the man said until his head aches from the effort. He eats as much food as he can, savoring each bite as if it's his last, gazing up at the beautiful sky with wonder in his eyes.

If this is a dream, Eren doesn't ever want to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading !! I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on this.


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